ARLINGTON, Va. — As they remembered the life of 33-year-old Tori Thompson on Tuesday, loved ones and the NAACP Arlington Branch called for more police training and better transparency.
Tori Thompson died of a fentanyl overdose outside the Econolodge on Langston Boulevard on July 5, 2023, according to his family. However, they claim they weren't told about his death until November when they began searching for him.
On the same week marking one year since his death, his mother Angela Thompson said she still questions why there was not a proper notification. The family also said they found out that his body was already cremated about two months after his death, as indicated by a court order. That same order said there was an exhaustive search by the Arlington Police department.
Virginia law allows the process of cremation of an unclaimed body on several factors, including if 10 days have passed, which was cited in the order.
“My son passed away, but he had his birth certificate on him, he had an ID and a letter from me,” Angela Thompson said. “They didn’t even try.”
“I lived in the very home that Tori was raised in for over 20 years,” his aunt Dr. Tonya Wise added. “I currently live in my current home for over 20 years. If creditors can find us and family members can find us, why can't the police find us?”
The family believes Tori Thompson was overlooked for several reasons including being unhoused. He was apparently staying outside the Econolodge and was last seen trying to charge his phone, according to an incident report.
Loved ones say he kept in touch with family members but they never assumed anything was wrong until his birthday in November. They tried to search for him in the area but were told by another unhoused individual that he was already dead, according to a cousin.
The family says when they tried to file a missing persons report, they eventually learned of his death.
NAACP Arlington Branch Legal Redress Chair Amy Stitzel claimed it took another two months after the family filed a complaint before they received an incident report.
“We’re calling for truth for Tori,” Stitzel said.
The NAACP Arlington Branch listed out their demands for Arlington Police:
- Increase ACPD supervision and training surrounding alleged unclaimed deaths.
- Ensure there is a liaison responsible for the supervision of the investigation and follow up of the notification of family members regarding the death of a loved one.
- Amend ACPD policy to include entering any unclaimed death information into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System “NamUs” database for a reasonable time prior to a motion to cremate any alleged unclaimed person.
- Include mandatory trauma-informed and implicit-bias training, proactive communication policies, and stronger, more transparent procedures around notifying family and next of kin after a death.
ACPD told WUSA9 it’s committed to conducting thorough and complete death investigations while treating individuals with dignity and respect.
In a statement, a police spokesperson said, “In February, members of the Police Department met with the Thompson family to discuss the death investigation and hear their concerns. As a result, further training was provided to all Homicide/Robbery Unit detectives by the County Attorney’s Office on the procedures for unclaimed bodies in accordance with Virginia Code §32.1 – 309.2.”
The spokesperson said there were additional procedures established that require the Homicide/Robbery Unit supervisor to review the case and ensure all steps have been taken before the process of unclaimed bodies can begin.
“Our condolences remain with the Thompson family,” the statement further read. “We appreciate the time they took to share their concerns so we can continue to evaluate our procedures and ensure they reflect the needs of those we serve while adhering to the highest standards of professional law enforcement.”
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